Arson suspected at family home
Family say theft of four vehicles days prior to fire could be linked
Afamily has been left dumbfounded and distraught after their home was torched in a suspected arson. Simon Paki says fire investigators found remnants of fuel around the San Pablo Way, Henderson, property after the blaze was eventually put out early on Saturday.
Emergency services were called to the home, fully engulfed in flames, about 2.30am on Saturday.
Paki told the his parents, who split their time living between Huntly and Auckland, were phoned with the news shortly after the fire began.
He said his mother drove straight to the scene.
No one was inside the house at the time.
He said the house wasn’t being rented out as his parents used it when they had work in Auckland.
Paki, who lives Waikato, said four of their vehicles had also been stolen in a brazen robbery days prior to the arson.
He believed the incidents were linked.
“The fire investigator said they found an accelerant, gasoline, all around the house. My theory is whoever stole the cars got spooked and went back to get rid of any evidence.”
A neighbour approached the thieves, as they were towing the vehicles away, who responded by saying they were “helping uncle” tidy up the section.
The neighbour didn’t think anything more of it, he said.
He found the arson more heartbreaking than his parents, two who were just glad that nobody had been hurt.
“My dad said at least nobody died, he’s still got mum and at least their health is all good. I think I’ve taken it a lot harder than them.
“Dad spent the last 22 years of his weekends building that just for it to burn down in one hour.”
He was gutted for his dad, who continued to tinker away on the two-storey, four bedroom house, which was one of his “projects”.
“It was still a bit of a work in progress. He was always trying to renovate it.”
Meanwhile, South Auckland fire crews battled yesterday to contain a blaze which engulfed two stores in the Otahuhu town centre. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said five engines were called to the fire on Mason Ave.
In Waipu, Northland, three shops were destroyed by fire delivering a blow to the small town.
The 1.30am blaze, which was not deemed suspicious, gutted the town’s only pharmacy, a cafe, a herbal medicine store, an electric vehicle charger station and an ATM.